Artifact Assault

Artifact Assault was a virtual training mode in the second stage of the Animi Training Program. It consisted of a 10 minute session, with four to eight Abstergo recruits being split into two teams that would aim to steal the most artifacts. The mode was also featured in the Animus console developed by Abstergo Entertainment.

In this training mode, the map would be divided into two territories, by means of a red border. In their own territory, recruits could set up defenses to protect their artifact, as well as keep an eye out for intruders. However, defenders' compasses would blur whenever they were within a certain range of their artifact, making it harder to pick out the enemy, provided they were stealthy.

As soon as a recruit passed the border, they would become a target, hunted by the opposing territory's owners. Their ability to kill was taken away, though they could still stun members of the opposing team, should they be detected. When a recruit managed to steal the artifact by entering its radius, they would then need to make it back to their own base alive and drop it off to score.

When a team's artifact was stolen, they would immediately be alerted to it by a recorded voice message. If the artifact carrier was performing high profile actions, a marker would be visible above their person, notifying their pursuers of their location. However, if they maintained a low profile by blending, the marker would remain absent, making it more difficult for them to be found.

When a pursuer managed to kill the artifact carrier, the stolen artifact would be immediately returned to the base it belonged to. The exception would be if the artifact carrier was killed through means such as the Hidden Gun or poison, in which case the artifact would be dropped at their feet. It could then be picked up by members of both teams, either sending it back to the base it belonged to or continuing the transport to the enemy base. If left idle, it would eventually respawn at its base on its own.